Display holder for artificial teeth



Feb. 19, 1929 L. PICKERING DISPLAY HOLDER FOR ARTIFICIAL TEETH Filed Dec. 5, 1926 Z.1'1'c frilly Patented Feb. 19, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LAFAYETTE PICKERING, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE COLUMBUS DENTAL MFG. CO., OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

DISPLAY HOLDER FOR ARTIFICIAL TEETH.

Application filed December 3, 1926.

This invention relates to an improved holder for supporting and displaying in compact yet accessible order relatively small bodies or devices such, for example, as artificial teeth. It is customary to provide display holders for artificial teeth consisting of a flat base or card upon which different kinds of teeth are removably mounted in parallel rows. The base or card upon which the teeth are mounted has usually been substantially flat, and as a result of this construction it has been necessary to space the rows of teeth relatively far apart in order that the teeth. either individually or in groups, may be removed from the base without disturbing the applied position of the adjacent teeth occupying adjoining rows. Owing, therefore, to the Wide spacing between the adjacent rows of teeth a flat card or base can hold but a limited number of teeth, and it is, therefore, one of the outstanding features of the present invention to produce a base of peculiar and novel form which lends itself to a more compact grouping of the teeth thereon, without interfering with the freedom necessary to effect the individual removal of the teeth, to the end that a card of given area or proportion may hold and retain in proper display order a maximum number of teeth.

In accordance with this general object my invention resides principally in the provision of an artificial tooth holder havinga tooth receiving base formed to include a plurality of obliquely disposed, parallel, angularly extending downwardly and outwardly inclined surfaces on which the teeth are mounted in successive parallel rows, the relative arrangement of said surfaces being such as to permit of the individual or group withdrawal or replacement of the artificial teeth without disturbing the applied positions of adjacent teeth and wherein the teeth are compactly arranged to enable the base to be of minimum size in proportion to the number of teeth displayed.

lVith these another objects in view, as will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel features of construc tion, combinations of elements and arrange- Serial No. 152,479.

ments of parts hereinafter to be fully described and pointed out in the appended claims. a

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure l is a front elevation of the improved tooth holder comprising the present lnvent-ion,

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the plane indicated by the line 2-2 of Figure Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 33 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a vertical longitudinal sectional yiew through a slightly modifiedform of the invention,

Figure 5 is a horizontal section on the line 55 of Figure 4, t

Figure 6 is a detail vertical sectional view through a further modified form, t

Figure 7 is a front elevation of the holder set forth in Figure 6,

Figure 8 is a detail sectional view of a further modification. V Referring more particularly to the drawing, and to Figures 1 to 3 inclusive, the nuneral 1 discloses my improved tooth holder in its entirety. Essentially, the holder comprises a tray like body formed to include a bottom or back wall 2 and with relatively shallow perpendicularly disposed, marginal walls 3, the front of the tray being open. Arranged within the oonfines of the wall 3 and an engaging the bottom of the back wall 2 is a tooth supporting rack or card 4. In the present form of the invention this rack or card is formed from stamped sheet metal and is of substantially corrugated form by being 35 shaped to provide a. plurality of downwardly and outwardly inclined surfaces extending transversely across the full width ofthe holder. These surfaces are designated by the numeral 5 and are arranged one above the 90 other in parallel order, the same being joined by perpendicularly disposed walls 6 which are integrally formed with the inclined walls 5 in the preferred form of the invention. The front surfaces of the walls 5 are provided with 95 any suitable kind of fastening means 7 for detachably retaining a plurality of artificial teeth in an applied position on the card or base a.

By this construction it will be observed that the teeth are supported on inclined planes and in parallel rows, a construction which permits of the aforesaid compact grouping and assembling of the teeth. It will be seen that the teeth may be conveniently removed without disturbing the operative positions of the teeth in the adjacent rows. This is usually done by forcing the teeth to be removed in 1, downward direction and, owing to the in clined plane upon which the teeth are niounted, the latter while being removed will not interfere, contact with or engage the teeth of the adjoining lower row, but will ride over the outer surfaces thereof without disturbing their applied positions. This feature enables the teeth to be placed in closely adjoining rows and therefore permits of the placing of a larger number of teeth upon the base than if the latter were of the usual flat or plain form.

It will be of course appreciated that many different ways may he provided for securing the teeth detachably to the base. For example, in Figures 1 to 3 the inclined walls 5 are provided with headed studs 8 which are received within slots formed in the posterior surfaces of the teeth 9 arranged on the base, the walls 5 being provided, contiguous to the studs, with resilient portions 10, which eirercise a pressure on the teeth and hold the latter frietionally locked in connection with the studs. In Figures a and 5 a similar arrangement is provided, but in addition an added metallic strip 11 is used which is apertured to receive the studs 8 and is also formed with outwardly pressed resilient tongues 12, which engage the rear surfaces of the teeth and force the latter outwardly, so that the headed end of the studs 8 will be held frictionally in engagement with the restricted walls provided at the entrance portions of the studs 13 formed in the posterior surfaces of the teeth 9.

In Figures 6 and 7 a further modification has been set forth wherein provision is made for the removal of the artificial teeth by groups from the base as well as individually. However, the same principles of removal and display of the teeth are employed as in the previous form of the invention. As disclosed, in Figures 6 and 7, the walls 5 of the base are provided with openings for the reception of tongues 14 provided on plurality of plates 15, which are shaped to conform to the formation of the walls 5 and 6. The lower extremities of the plates 15 are providcd with inturned flanges 16, which engage the walls 6, and are provided with resilient enlargements 17 which are receivable within openings 18 formed in the walls 6, whereby when the plates occupy their operative positions the same will be locked in connection with the base, but may be readily removed therefrom by finger pressure. The plates also carry the studs 8 together with the strip 11 and the latter serve to retain individually the teeth 9 on said plate.

In Figure 8 the plates 16 are directly connected in a removable manner with the metallic rear wall 2 of the holder, to eliminate the use of the plates 5 employed in the previously described forms. Thus the individual plates 16* have their upper edges formed with tongues 20 which pass into openings 21 formed in the wall 2, while the lower edges of the plates 16 are retained and supported by resilient offsets 22 turned outwardly from the wall 2 In view of the foregoing description it will be seen that the present invention provides a simple yet ellicieut holder for supporting artificial teeth in an orderly, compact form suitable for display and transportation purposes. The holder is formed so that the teeth arranged thereon may be conveniently removed or replaced in eitho an individual or group manner, and that such removal or replacement will not interfere with the applied positions of adjacent teeth supported on the holder.

It will be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise details f construction and arrangement as herein set forth, as the invention may be adapted for other uses than the supporting and dis play of artificial teeth and consequently variations may be made in the fastening means for retaining the articles to be supported in connect-ion with the inclined surfaces of the base. lhe invention may he therefore said to cover all such modifications that fall fairly within the scope of the following: claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A display tray for artificial teeth comprising a base formed to provide plurality of inclined planes, arrange in vertically aligned parallel order, tooth carrying holders adapted to lie upon said inclined planes and shaped to conform to the outline of said planes, the upper ends of said holders being formed with tongues adapted to be received within openings provided in said base, the lower ends of said holders being formed to resiliently grip the lower ends of said inclined planes to detachubly retain said hold: ers upon said ll. display tray for artificial teeth comprising a base formed to provide a plurality of inclined planes, arranged in vertically aligned parallel order, tooth carrying holders shaped to conform to the formation of said inclined planes and carried thereby, the upper ends of said holders being provided with tongues received within openings formed in said be ac, inw r ly directed flanges formed within the lower ends or said holders having indentations adapted to resiliently retain said holders in connection with openings formed in said base.

3. A display tray for artificial teeth comprising a base, tooth carrying holders carried by said base and arranged in vertically aligned parallel order, each of said holders comprisin an outwardly and downwardly inclined p ate formed with an inwardly bent and means formed with the lower edge of said flange for resiliently retaining said olders in connection with said base.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature.

LAFAYETTE PICKERING. 

